Investigation Continues into Death of Anna Kepner on Carnival Cruise
The family of Anna Kepner, who tragically died on a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month, insists that she “fought for her life,” amidst reports that her death has been classified as a homicide.
Anna, 18, was discovered deceased in her cabin aboard the Carnival Horizon on November 7 while on a family vacation. The cause of death has been attributed to “mechanical asphyxiation,” as reported. Despite this classification, authorities have not disclosed any suspects or persons of interest in the case. Currently, the FBI is looking into the circumstances surrounding Anna’s death.
Relatives share that she was found in her cabin, where she was accompanied by her brother-in-law. Crystal Wright, Anna’s aunt, expressed her belief that the young cheerleader fought back during the incident.
“I know Anna fought. I know she fought for her life. So it’s tough. It’s tough,” Wright remarked.
Wright voiced her frustration over the lack of arrests, despite the homicide classification. She questioned, “If the boy is the suspect, we don’t understand why he hasn’t been charged yet. What’s going on there? It’s chaos. We’re just sitting here waiting.”
Reports suggest that Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother is under suspicion, as noted by her stepmother, Shawntel Kepner, in a legal filing related to her ongoing custody battle with her ex-husband.
An incident involving Anna’s 15-year-old ex-boyfriend surfaced, where he claimed that her stepbrother had attempted to climb on top of her during a FaceTime call. He reported this to Anna’s parents, mentioning that Anna had felt “uncomfortable” around her stepbrother before their cruise. Interestingly, he suggested that Anna would have still gone on the trip if they hadn’t broken up.
In a court document, Anna’s father, Christopher Kepner, stated, “I want him to face the consequences…and I’m going to fight to make sure that happens.” He added, “He was the only one in the room, and the FBI is currently investigating and needs to provide evidence to show he did or didn’t do it.” It’s quite difficult to fathom that such tragedies can occur.
